Investing in Graphene Companies

Here's a look at a few publicy traded stocks in the space.

Many people are interested in investing in graphene companies. But with the industry still in its infancy, that can be a risky endeavor. After all, who’s to say which companies will go on to be successful and which will fall by the wayside?

The so-called “wonder material’s” exciting characteristics don’t help matters. Graphene has the potential to spur advances in a variety of sectors — from transport to medicine to electronics — and as a result it’s easy for companies to exaggerate their activities. Indeed, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has warned in the past of scams concerning graphene.

Investing in graphene companies can also be tough simply because so many that are focused on the material are private. While such companies may ultimately become public via an IPO or other means, there’s no guarantee of that happening.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the publicly traded graphene companies currently on the market, plus a few private graphene companies where it’s possible for investors to gain a toehold. For investors looking to get in on the excitement surrounding graphene, they may be good options.

Applied Graphene Material has developed a proprietary “bottom-up” process for producing high-specification graphene. The company’s belief is that graphene’s value “lies in its ability to transfer its intrinsic properties into other materials” — in other words, it’s interested in the graphene’s potential to enhance the characteristics of other materials.

Headquartered in Shanghai, China Carbon Graphite Group manufactures and distributes graphite products and graphene-related products through its subsidiary, Royal Elite New Energy Science & Technology (Shanghai).

Among other products, the company sells graphite electrodes, graphite bipolar plates and graphite oxide. In terms of graphene, it’s able to produce high-quality, stable graphene oxide dispersion that can be stored for several months.

Elcora Advanced Materials is an exploration stage company that mines, processes and refines graphite. The company also produces graphene and end graphene applications. Elcora states it has developed a cost-effective process that produces graphene without using acids or oxides that are non-functionalized.

As mentioned, many companies focused on graphene are private, and Grafoid is one of them. However, Focus Graphite’s (TSXV:FMS) close relationship with Grafoid (it’s the company’s largest single shareholder) means that Focus investors have exposure to Grafoid. The company may thus be one for graphene-focused investors to consider.

Grafoid is a graphene research, development and investment company that invests in, manages and develops markets for processes that produce economically scalable graphene for the use of corporations and institutions.

Its key product is its high-purity, economically scalable MesoGraf™ graphene, which is created via a unique proprietary process. The company prides itself on this process, which it says is much more environmentally friendly than current methods for producing graphene. Grafoid’s hope is that MesoGraf™ may eventually eliminate current graphene cost issues.

Graphene 3D Lab is focused on developing and commercializing technologies that improve the capabilities of 3D printing. To that end, it’s created a product called Conductive Graphene Filament; it’s sold at the company’s online store, and gives users the ability to 3D print circuitry and sensors for electronic applications. Lomiko Metals (TSXV:LMR), through its subsidiary Lomiko Technologies has a 10.43 percent in Graphene 3D Lab.

Long term, Graphene 3D Lab plans to offer next-generation functional materials for 3D printing, thereby “enabling the printing of entire operational devices in a one-step, fully-computerized process.” Ultimately it hopes to see 3D printing move from being a niche technology to being key to the manufacturing process.

Graphene Nanochem is a performance nanochemicals and advanced materials company, which designs, formulates and markets a number of graphene-enhanced applications.

The company’s commercial platforms include Advanced Chemicals and Advanced Materials–the latter focuses on the application of graphene nanomaterials for industrial use.

7. Group NanoXplore

Group NanoXplore is another private graphene company; however, investors can get exposure to it via Mason Graphite (TSXV:LLG), which founded the company in 2014 and has a 32.5-percent stake in it. In fact, a recent Nanalyze article describes the relationship as similar to that of Lomiko and Graphene 3D Lab.

On its website, NanoXplore highlights the quality of its graphene, noting that it’s able to produce high volumes of the material at affordable prices due to its “unique production process.” That process is reportedly “environmentally friendly and compatible with a wide range of manufacturing processes and government regulations.” All in all, the company offers different products divided into four family groups.

The Nanalyze article states that ultimately the company’s goal may be to develop spin offs to develop products using its graphene.

Haydale Graphene Industries is the holding company for both Haydale and Haydale Composite Solutions. The former has developed a patent-pending proprietary scalable plasma process that’s aimed at functionalizing graphene and other nanomaterials. Using the technology, Haydale is able to supply tailored solutions to both raw material suppliers and product manufacturers.

Meanwhile, the latter is focused on the design, development and commercialization of advanced polymer composite materials. Haydale Composite Solutions takes care of the entire development cycle, from applied research to setting up manufacturing plants.

Saint Jean Carbon is a carbon science company with an interest in energy storage and green energy creation and green recreation. The company has interests in graphite mining and lithium claims in Quebec.

Now, the company has also turned its attention towards graphene. For example, in June 2017 the company announced it had completed a graphene full cell lithium-ion battery as part of its goal of creating high performance graphene batteries through various projects.

10. XG Sciences

Privately owned XG Sciences manufactures and sells xGnP® Graphene Nanoplatelets, which it says “feature the beneficial properties of graphite or graphene … as well as those derived from its unique size and shape.” As a result, the nanoplatelets are the ideal for a number of applications, including printed electronics. Here’s an overview of the company’s product offerings.

POSCO (NYSE:PKX), a multinational steelmaker based in South Korea, holds a significant stake in XG Sciences, and thus offers a way for interested investors to get a foot in the door at the company.

Private graphene companies

The graphene stocks listed above are by no means the only graphene-focused companies out there, especially in terms of the private space. Investors interested in keeping an eye on those that are privately owned may want to consider: 2D Carbon Tech, ACS Material, Advanced Graphene Products, Anderlab Materials, Graphene Platform and Graphenea.

Did we miss a publicly traded graphene company? Let us know in the comments! And don’t forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates.

This article was originally published on the Investing News Network in 2015.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

I am an investor and a scientist working with graphene for 10 years now. My advise, graphene is only good for universities and research… Forget about companies for industrial applications! Graphene is pretty much useless for any application, just study the history and see what happened with carbon nanotubes..